Spring-lock for hatchways



(No'MbdeL) W. J. RITGHEY.

' SPRING LOGK FOR HATOHWAYS. No.. 310,320. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM J. RITOHEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA;

SPRING-LOCK FOR HATCHWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.310,320, dated January 6, 1885.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. RrroHEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Locks for Hatchways and other Doors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a pair of partially-open hatchway-doors with my improved locking device attached. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on line as x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the doors closed and held in place by the locking device. Fig. 4 is a detail to be referred to.

My invention relates to improved means for automatically securing hatchway and other doors; and it consists in the peculiar arrangement, construction, and combination of devices, all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the exact manner in which I have carried it out.

Heretofore great difficulty and serious accidents have been occasioned by the failure in keeping hatchway-doors closed after they have been operated upon by a cam or similar devices generally employed in closing said doors. To overcome these difiiculties, and at the same time provide a cheap and substantial locking device, and one that can be applied to any hatchway, is the object of my invention.

Referring to the said drawings, A and A represent a pair of sliding hatchway-doors of ordinary construction. The upper and lower inner corners of each of these doors are cut away, as at a and a, as shown in Fig. 1.

Bolted to the under surface of the door A, and in line with its outer edges, are the metallic plates B, their free ends being bent out- Ward at right angles, to furnish bearings for the anti-friction rollers O, which assist in the sliding movement of the doors.

At suitable points between the plates B are bolted or otherwise seemed the metallic spring (No model.)

plates or catches D, each having a curved end, and provided with a loop or bend, d, adapted to engage a projection on the opposite door, as will be hereinafter more fully described. I

The door A is similar in construction to the door A, and it is provided with metal plates E, which are bolted to the door, and formed in a manner similar to those on the door A. It will be noticed that the plates E are secured at points inside the edges of the door A, and preferably on aline with the inner surface of the cut-away portions a, sothat when the doors are closed the anti-friction rollers F, which are j ournaled in the plates in a manner similar to the rollers 0, enter the cut-away portions of door A, while the rollers O perform a like function in the door A. The metal plates E are provided with in wardly-proj ecting studs H, constructed and arranged so that when the doors are closed the spring-catches D come in contact with the studs, and, springing over the same, securely hold the doors in a closed condition, as shown in Fig. 3. The construction of the springs and their relation to the studs can also be used with advantage for other purposes, such as shown in Fig. 4, where the spring-lock is applied to a box or other receptacle, to which it may be applied and used with good effect. When thus used, a pin, I, passing through an opening in the box, presses against the spring and disengages it from the stud and allows the box to be opened.

Havingthus described my invention, whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The door A, having metallic plates B, the outer ends of which are bent at right angles to receive the journals of the anti-friction rollers O, and spring-catches 1), formed with a bend or loop, (Z, in combination with the door A, provided wit-h angular plates E, in which are journaled anti-friction rollers F, and inwardly projecting studs H, secured to the plates F, and adapted to engage'the catches 9 on the opposite door, all constructed and combined to operate as herein set forth.

XVILLIAM J. RITGHEY.

Witnesses:

B. FRANK WEYMAN, ADoLrrr OETTING. 

